Neutralize/slow poison spells

[davegibsongreyhawkdm]

How long do you give a deadly monster/adversary poison to take effect and cause death? What is the available time window that a slow or neutralize poison spell can forestall or prevent death?

[geneweigel]

From the DMG (1979) pg 20:

Poison Types:
The poison of monsters, regardless of its pluses or minuses to the victim's
saving throw, is an all-or-nothing affair. That is, either they do no damage,
or they kill the victim within a minute or so. Poison potions generally do
the same, although you may optionally elect to have any given one be
slow-acting, so that the victim will notice nothing for 1-10 hours after
quaffing it. Monster poisons are all effective by either ingestion or insinuation
into the body and blood stream of the victim. Poison potions must be
ingested. If you allow poison use by characters in your campaign, users
can purchase ingestive or insinuative poisons only, having to obtain
dual-use poisons from monsters.

At the bottom of the page is the chart for prices/time/damage

[foster1941]

That "within a minute or so" effectively means there's a one-round opportunity for the poison to be neutralized before the poisoned character dies. If the spell is cast after that, the poison is neutralized but it's too late because the character is already dead - a raise dead spell (or equivalent) is required as well (though, of course, if the character is raised without the poison being neutralized then it's likely to immediately re-kill the character...). Note, however, that this can be avoided if neutralize poison is used in conjunction with slow poison because the latter spell explicitly states that it will restore life to a character "killed" by poison within 1 turn per level of the caster.

[geneweigel]

There was an official mention of applying weaker poison in POLYHEDRON #9 (DEC 1982):

Q: Your "all or nothing" system for poison
is unrealistic and overly deadly. Why
don't you use some other system?

A: The DMG offers an optional system
(pg. 20) with poisons classified as ingestive
or insinuative (the former applicable
to potions and food, the latter to traps),
and further subdivided by onset time,
damage, and so forth. It's for "purchased
poisons," but there's no ill effect if applied
generally.

i.e. use the chart for everything.

Which is lame!

[grodog]

Some good alternate systems for poisons were published in Dragon:

Poisons:
- "Poison: The Toxins Of Cerilon" Larry DiTillio 59(57) D&D1
- "Poisons From AA to XX" Charles Sagui 32(4) D&D1
- "Taking the Sting Out of Poison" Chris Landsea 81(6) D&D1
Gas - "Gas 'Em Up and Smoke 'Em Out" Robert Plamondon 45(6) D&D1
Lotus - "Deadliest Perfume, The" John P. Brown 121(26) D&D1

Sagui's piece was reprinted in BoD#2 and we used it BITD, but I preferred Landsea's article from Dragon #81 after it was published. Di Tillio's added more poisons into the mix, which is never a bad thing!

Allan.

[geneweigel]

Jan 21, 2018 23:14:52 GMT -5 grodog said:

Some good alternate systems for poisons were published in Dragon:
Poisons:
- "Poison: The Toxins Of Cerilon" Larry DiTillio 59(57) D&D1
- "Poisons From AA to XX" Charles Sagui 32(4) D&D1
- "Taking the Sting Out of Poison" Chris Landsea 81(6) D&D1
Gas - "Gas 'Em Up and Smoke 'Em Out" Robert Plamondon 45(6) D&D1
Lotus - "Deadliest Perfume, The" John P. Brown 121(26) D&D1

All article contributors were later incarcerated....

Just kidding!

[davegibsongreyhawkdm]

Jan 21, 2018 23:14:52 GMT -5 grodog said:

Some good alternate systems for poisons were published in Dragon:

Poisons:
- "Poison: The Toxins Of Cerilon" Larry DiTillio 59(57) D&D1
- "Poisons From AA to XX" Charles Sagui 32(4) D&D1
- "Taking the Sting Out of Poison" Chris Landsea 81(6) D&D1
Gas - "Gas 'Em Up and Smoke 'Em Out" Robert Plamondon 45(6) D&D1
Lotus - "Deadliest Perfume, The" John P. Brown 121(26) D&D1

Sagui's piece was reprinted in BoD#2 and we used it BITD, but I preferred Landsea's article from Dragon #81 after it was published. Di Tillio's added more poisons into the mix, which is never a bad thing!

Allan.

Thanks, Allan, this is helpful - I don't let PCs make their own poison saving throw rolls, so it seems reasonable that PCs would most often have at least a short time when they realize they are not well (unconsciousness, vomiting, convulsions, paralysis, coma, etc.) before death.